


The New Regular

by glassbin



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji Is So Done, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou are Bros, Bokuto Koutarou Being Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto is so polite, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Akaashi Keiji, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassbin/pseuds/glassbin
Summary: Akaashi works in a local coffee shop while attending university. The coming of the future weighs heavily on him, and maybe the new regular is the perfect distraction. Besides its not as if he could shake him, even if he really wanted to.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first work, and I'm a little nervous about posting, but I hope you enjoy it! I know it's a little short but I plan on working on making them longer in the future. I'm also not sure what ships I'll include, but I'll update the tags as I go along. Any characters in the tags will be included in this in future updates :)

This is the story of a kid who never quite fit in. From his standoffish personality to his quick tongue, many found him to be hard to swallow. His appearance was as inviting as he was. He had a small frame, black messy hair, and was almost too dignified. His eyes were ice cold and you could feel his stare from a mile away. Of course, he was unaware of his analytical eye, it had just become something he’d come to know as normal, and he assumed it was similar for others to watch and take in information as it came in the same way he did.

And so he would analyze more and more so, and over time he learned, it was best not to tell people he had been doing so. Kenma and Kuroo were one of the few people who had little to no issue with Akaashi’s watchful eye making notes of them. Kenma was similar and Kuroo had gotten used to that since they had been friends since childhood.

The three worked together in a local cafe, one of those big brand ones that required a “happy face”. And so each shift Akaashi would put on a cheerful voice and swallow his tongue when things went lopsided, which if we’re being honest, was often. Rushes were always a challenge but when they were done it was almost euphoric.

Besides the point, Akaashi still dreaded them. This morning he sits in his car, counting down the minutes till his opening shift begins. The clock reads 5:50 am, 10 minutes of peace left. He spent those 10 minutes in comfortable silence. He then grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and heads to the doors. As he gets out of the car he feels a shiver, _“right”_ he thinks _“I should start bringing a coat in the morning”._ He and Kuroo meet at the doors and begin their open.

Kuroo was slightly taller than Akaashi, had black messy hair, and tended to wear a smile that could only be described as scheming. He normally wore a black t-shirt with a rose embroidery and black pants to work, but he would rotate that out with other t-shirts over time. The man liked consistency, always talking about how geniuses wore the same things every day to enhance their mind, but his fashion sense needed to be known. Kuroo was currently working his way through university to become a chemist, but he was still fairly free-spirited. 

Let’s start the open: Icebox, coffee, tea, calibrate the espresso machine, ect. He liked this part of his shift, it was his favourite part of morning shifts. It was peaceful before they opened the door. Then, as per usual, a familiar voice interrupts the peace.

“Maybe we should all just quite, be a lot easier!” Kuroo said through a laugh

“When is Kenma in today?” Akaashi asked

“he should be here at 8:00. He had a late night with a gaming stream so he’ll probably be exhausted.”

“And why do you know that?”

“Cause I stayed up to watch and I feel like death”

“Yeah, but Kenma thrives off of living like that, he’s built different, remember?”

They both laughed and continued on with their work. That was it, that's what he loved so much about working there. This sense that he could joke with people, despite his more often than not, stoic personality. He liked that Kuroo and Kenma didnt think he was mad or upset when he would shift with his peronality. It was hard for him to explain, but his joking moments really really only last a few moments. That was one of the issues he had with this job as well, he didn’t really fit the brand personality-wise, but he was a hard worker and that seemed to compensate.

Just then Kenma entered the shop. Giving nothing but a tired side-eye and a yawn he went to the back to get ready. Unlike Kuroo, Kenma was small in frame, his roots were growing into his bleached blond hair and he was about 10 times more unsociable then Akaashi. Akaashi could at least fake it. But he was a quick worker, faster than anyone else there, which were skills he gained while trying to cut corners at every chance he had. Kenma was an up and coming streamer online, and when he wasnt working he was building his gaming skills.

The day rolled on, and he could feel the life being drained with every preppy “Hey there! What can I get for you today?”. Damn, this job really brought him out of his shell. It wasn’t noticeable to others, but for him, he’d never been more open to others. But that was required with the job to make the guest feel welcome. This also, unfortunately, went against his nature. Not quite timid, as he was generally snarky, but he never really went out of his way to talk to strangers.

The next customer walked up and started the conversation with abooming “HEY HEY, HEY, HOW ARE YOU?!” This took Akaashi by surprise. Mostly because he was rarely asked how he was at work. A young man in the University Of Tokyo sweater stood in front of him. He had wild white and grey hair, that while, odd, was clearly styled that way. His eyes were amber coloured, and you could tell from the way he stood he was an open book. It wouldn't have been till after he had left the counter, but he would later remind Akaashi of how bright a star is. Akaashi also attended UOT to study literature, but he didn’t recognize him. That wasn’t shocking, it was a big school.

“Oh” Akaashi paused for a moment “It’s been a busy day, but nothing to unmanageable.”

“That's good! Now I have a question”

There was a silence between them, Akaashi waiting patiently for him to ask until he realized that the young man was waiting for a response.

“uh, what’s the question?”

“what is” he leaned in “the closest thing you have to a milkshake”

“A frappachino.” Akaashi replied deadpan

“Perfect I’ll get one with chocolate!”

“Name for the order?”

“Bokuto” he paused and spoke again before Akaashi could say anything “and what’s yours?”

_Are you kidding me? I literally have a name tag._

“Akaashi” he said with a sigh


	2. Chapter 2

Akaashi entered his apartment, tired from the day and tired from the intent pestering of customers and coworkers alike.

The apartment was a small bachelor, perfect for a student. There was a small nook where he had his bed, which was covered in a black blanket with a square pattern, white sheets, and four pillows. The bed was half made. He only ever really made it when he had people over, which honestly wasn’t too often. At the back of the apartment there was a small kitchenette and then a seating area that also held a television and bookshelf.

It was decided that it would be best to finish up some school work then head promptly to bed. That plan never really worked out. It was absolutely worth telling himself that he would do it because maybe one day he would. Akaashi worked on some assignments for his literature courses, studied some for an upcoming test, then decided that now, at 10:00 pm was a good time for coffee.

There were small mementos around the room, each one with their own story. Akaashi liked to keep things with meaning, it made them feel that they were his own and that was something that brought him comfort when he felt utterly alone in the world.

As he brewed his drink his phone chimed

> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Don’t stay up too late, we have an early open, and I know your gonna be stupid and stay up.
> 
> <Akaashi> Are you watching me or something

_What are you, my mother?_

> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> No, but you always do this and it makes you slow at work.
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Plus its not good for you.
> 
> <Akaashi> I’ll be just fine Kuroo-san. Besides if there’s anyone who you should worry about its Kenma.
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Yeah well,you need to take better care of yourself too. Anyway, better head to bed, night.

Putting down his phone he poured his coffee and sat in the living room area sipping it intently. It was another one of those nights where he could only focus on the future

_What am I doing with my life?_

_What if I can't keep up in my courses_

_What if I’m a disappointment_

_What if what if what if what if what-_

With that, he snapped back. He hated when he got like that, but he had always over thought things. He needed to get his mind off of it. Now wired on caffeine he had no other choice but to stay up. He puttered around the apartment, and at 1:00am he decided to go for a walk. He did that a lot, he liked the night sky, and how the stars seemed to float when he would stop and stare up at them. After his walk, he settled in and eventually fell asleep.

As the week progressed the strange student would come in more and more. Sometimes even with competing coffee brands in hand. Over that week Bokuto had made pretty decent friends with Kuroo, which Akaashi assumed was why he kept showing up. He really had one of those “Let so visit <redacted> at work” kind vibes.

Akaashi still had school but they were on a study week so Akaashi had been working everyday, then would resume to working early opens and late nights dependant on what his class schedule was that day.

“Hey, Agaashi!” Bokuto said while approaching the counter

_For christ sake what is it now?_

“Hello Bokuto-san, what would you like”

“Just a cup”

“Just a cup?”

“Yes”

“For what? You haven’t even gotten anything?”

“I don’t like feeling out of place” and from below the counter Bokuto lifts a competitor coffee with a tinge of guilt

Akaashi couldn’t help but find this somewhat amusing, but also at the same time, very annoying.

_Who the hell comes into a coffee shop with a competitors product?_

He handed him the cup and Bokuto sat back down. When the cafe was empty he would come and chat with Kuroo and then go back to work. Akaashi couldn’t figure out if he liked this kid or not. Bokuto was loud, childish, seemed to have a habit of being as invasive as a weed on a garden of perfect roses. Kuroo definitely liked him. By Thursday they almost exclusively referred to each other as “bro”.

_Annoying._

Despite it being annoying, he also found it somewhat endearing. Kuroo had had difficulty making friends ever since Akaashi had met him. He had a habit of getting fixated on things. Science, volleyball, whatever show he had recently gotten wildly obsessed with. Most people found it to be somewhat annoying, but Akaashi saw him as an ally since he also had an idea of what it felt like to be rejected for being too much of himself. Besides, he had played volleyball in high school, and he enjoyed the occasional intellectual discussion that always seemed to be onesided, with Kuroo explaining various theories and those going stright over Akaashi's and Kenma's heads. Akaashi could also tell that Bokuto was also too much of himself, but that didn't seem to bother others. In all honesty, he wanted to dislike Bokuto-san, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Bokuto seemed like the kind of person who would accept you regardless of if you were too diffretn, and it made him see Bokuoto as a possible ally as well. That was still a huge maybe.

The very idea of this strange man was an enigma to Akaashi, he couldn't get a read on him, at least not yet. People that welcoming had only ever been nice to gain something. He had a hard time trusting people in that regard. Akaashi had a pretty face, an innocent face, at least it had been. So he was no stranger to the reaching hands of those who may have wanted to use him. To manipulate him. Of course, he was smarter than he looked and as he matured it showed. He quite frankly had no interest in into getting into more borderline dangerous situations then he already had. This is why he had become so selective of who he let into his life.

Bokuto on the other hand seemed to let anyone and everyone in. Akaashi had no doubt in his mind someone owed him money. Or maybe he had a stary cat that he just let into his home on a split moment decision. He could also tell that Bokuto has a strange intelligence to him. He had the same analytical eye, but it was softer. This eye wasnt meant to pick apart and judge if someone was safe, it was meant to understand from an emotional aspect. Bokuto absolutely had his weaknesses, but you could tell from a quick interaction those weak spots came from immense amounts of unwarned trust and pure empathy. Akaashi was astonished by how enamoured he was with this boy. 

By Saturday Bokuto had declared that he was going to become a regular, which too Akaashi was weird as hell, but business is business. Besides, it’s not like he’d be seeing him every day since his school week availability was pretty spotty. This was also strangly disappointing to him, but he pushed that aside. With that close, the study week came to an end.


	3. Chapter 3

Following that week classes resumed. During his return to his classes, Akaashi realized how much he missed the cafe. It felt like home to him. That, however, did not distract from the fact that the school he attended was also pretty top-notch. And what was even better? It was big. He loved that about campus. So big that if someone wasn’t in your department, you probably wouldn’t be seeing them. This meant a well-deserved break from that pain in the ass Kuroo-san. Don’t get it wrong, Akaashi loved his friends, but he’d be damned if he didn’t have a limit to how much bullshit he could take.

After his first two Monday classes Akaashi typically went to the dining hall, if he were to be seeing Kuroo, Kenma, or honestly any of the other Nekoma students who attended UOT after high school, he would be seeing them then. Akaashi had attended Fukorodani and over time made friends with a lot of the other students in the Tokyo teams. This included, but wasn’t limited to Kuroo, Kenma, Lev, Yaku, and probably one of the weirder players he’d met, Fukunaga. The teams played a lot of games together, and over time made connections.

Funny enough, he had made a lot of friends through volleyball. Well, closer to acquaintances to him. This more or less happened when they went to nationals or training camps. He did enjoy seeing Karasuno and a couple of other teams here and there because they were always a new challenge. It really kept him going and on his feet. He had even taken a couple of first years under his wing when he was in second year.

Akaashi sad down in the dining hall with a bowl of curry and some bread and butter. His phone dinged.

> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Hey
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Hey
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Turn around :)

Behind him sat Kuroo, Fukunaga, and Kenma. Kuroo had that stupid smile while Kenma and Fukunaga were both distracting themselves. Kenma, gaming, and Fukunaga building what looked like a tower of sugar packets being held up by ice pop sticks and pure will power. Kuroo-san really knew how to pick his friends, but upon reflection, Akaashi realized he was just as weird, if not more.

“Can I not have one day away from you guys?” asked Akaashi

“Absolutely not”

“Is it just you guys today?”

“Nah, Hinata and Suga are gonna be here soon. They wanted to ask us about something.”

“Any idea of what it’s about?”

“No, but if Suga is involved I’m borderline terrified”

“More trustworthy than you, smug ass cat.”

“Now that's just hurtful-”

The conversation was then cut short as Suga and Hinata approached the table. Hinata was on the shorter side and Suga was a bit taller than him. Hinata had wild orange hair, and you could almost feel the energy radiating off of him. Akaashi could recall a movie night at which Hinata had so much body heat coming off of him he had to move. Suga had silver hair (he joked so often that it was due to a genetic condition that everyone was convinced it may really be) and was moderately charismatic. Suga was a bit of a pillar in the group, he was as stable as a pillar, and just wild enough that you may feel that you need to put a few more supports around it just incase.

“You may be wondering why I have summoned you all here today” Suga exclaimed “Well, I am about to tell you. Hinata and I were talking about Karasuno and came to the conclusion that we really want to get back into the game. So we want to start a community group.”

“Why don't you guys just join the school's team?” Asked Kenma, barely looking up from his phone.

“The school's team is being put on a break momentarily because of some staff issues. Shoyo and Tobio really want to keep up, because they were looking to go professional, so I suggested this. We figured you and other local teams would all be great to practice with, plus who knows, maybe there’ll be some hidden gems at this school.”

Suga then laid out a signup form. The boys exchanged some looks (some excited, while others*cough* Kenma *cough* mildly disappointed). Kuroo then took the initiative and signed his name, followed by Kenma, Fukunaga, and then Akaashi. Akaashi signed his name and handed it back to Suga.

“We only have a few more people we want to check and see if they want to join, but practices start on Wednesday at the community centre!” Called out Hinata as they left the table.

Two days later Akaashi found himself digging out his old gear and preparing to start twice a week practices. It was nice to have something like this again. Taking a moment to check his phone he noticed he had gotten an email from Hinata titled “Teammates!!!!!!!!” With a photo of the signup sheet.

**Sawamura Diachi**

**Tobio Kegeyama**

**Hajime Iwaizumi**

**Lev Haiba**

**Yaku Morisuke**

**Tendou Satori**

_Seems selective with who they asked…wait…oh hell no_

**Koutarou Bokuto**

_You have got to be kidding me._

> <Akaashi> Hinata, how do you know Bokuto-san?
> 
> <Hinata> Hey Akaashi!!!! I know met him the other day on the way to sports administrations! Do you know him?
> 
> <Akaashi> Sort of, he’s a regular at my work. I know Kuroo-sans become friends with him so I’m sure he’ll fit right in.
> 
> <Hinata> He’s SUPER cool too. He actually went to nationals a lot in high school too, but I guess we never really went up against him. He was actually one of the top aces in his prefecture!!!!!!!!!
> 
> <Akaashi> Thats great, Hinata. I just wanted to know how you knew him since he’s an…interesting character. Thank you again.
> 
> <Hinata> See you at practice!!!!!!!!!!

He put down his phone and sat staring at his shoes that had just been dug out from the depths of his closet. He let out a sigh and then laid down.

_God is this really another activity I can take up. Not to mention all the energy it's going to drain from me socially. But I did already make a commitment to Hinata…but then again can I handle dealing with Kuroo AND Bokuto in an environment that will be ten times as loud twice a week? I should at least give it a try._

He closed his eyes at the thoughts raced through his. Mind going back and forth back and forth. He fell asleep soon after.


	4. Chapter 4

**4:00 am**

Akaashi’s alarm rang off at 4 am for an opening shift. It takes 15 minutes to walk to the cafe, and if he walks instead of driving it’ll save gas. Mental checklist:

  * _Shower_
  * _Get dressed_
  * _Eat_
  * _Double-check bag_
  * _Double-check schedule for the day_



Today was going to be twice as long as his typical Wednesday. But he didn’t have time to think about that now. After showering and getting dressed Akaashi grabbed a piece of banana bread and an energy drink from the fridge and begun to make sure he had everything for the day. Once he had confirmed he wasn’t missing anything he needed, he checked his schedule. Busy, busy as hell. Is this going to be the new normal? Cause he could have done this in high school just fine, but as an adult, he just felt tired. The conclusion was that if he tried to dip without trying Hinata and Kuroo would be on his ass for the next month or two.

**4:40 am**

Time to go. Double-checking his pockets for his keys, wallet, and phone, Akaashi headed out the door. Out of every part of his day, this and his night walks were his favourites. He absolutely could have driven, but most mornings he liked to walk and bus places.

Work was about as eventful as always. He opened with the manager, worked 5:00 am till 8:00 am, and then went to school. The entire time he felt like he just wanted the class to end. Sure with one or two he would have wanted it to end sooner than later, but he couldn’t help but want them to be over. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was excited. Or maybe just wanting to get it over with. He wasn’t too sure yet.

**4:30 pm**

Akaashi approached the community centre with Kuroo, Kenma, and Hinata. Hinata had asked that Kenma come ahead of time to help set up, which prompted Kenma to invite Kuroo, and Kuroo to invite Akaashi. The four walked down the hallway chatting about school, and life, and anything and everything that you tend to think about as a young adult. They approached the gym doors and they could hear the sound of a ball hitting the ground.

“Is…someone already here?” Kuroo asked

“With the bunch, Hinata and Suga put together, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. You guys are monsters.” Said Kenma

They opened the door and there it was, yep, that's definitely a monster. Koutarou Bokuto mid-self-setting spike slamming the ball into the ground.

“BOKUTO-SAN”

“HINATA”

And the two began chatting. Eventually, the five started setting up anything Bokuto had not done yet and then waited for the rest to show up.

**4:50 pm**

Tendou Satori struts through the door, larger than life. Tendou was a culinary student with wildly styled red hair, that kind of reminded Akaashi of fire. He could recall seeing his team play at nationals once or twice and recalled seeing Tendou is his fist year at Fukuorodani. Tendou was currently in the culinary program but had literally no clue what he was going to do with it. “Just felt right” he’d say whenever he was asked. As he entered the gym he immediately went over to Kuroo, Bokuto, and Hinata.

_That is a terrifying mix_

Following Tendou, the rest began to spill in. There were about thirteen in total. Practice was a lot of catching up, some drills, and then some good old fashion running. Lev and Yaku were bickering like they had never left Nekoma, debates of who should be team captain ensued, and Kenma was instantly regretting his decisions throughout his life that inevitably let to him laying on a bench gasping for air.

Akaashi sat on the bench to take a break and watch some of the drills to see what kind of team this group may shape out to be. Aside from the fact that there were too many aces, setters, and ex captains, this could work out really well. Akaashi attention was then drawn to a setting drill next to him. It was Bokuto, once again capturing the watchful eye.

Bokuto seemed to glide through the air with perfect form. He could tell that there was a reason he was one of the top aces in his prefecture. The ball hit the ground with a loud slam and he landed with a huge smile sitting on his face.

“HINATA, KUROO, AKAASHI, DID YOU SEE THAT THAT WAS AMAZING.” He yelled

_Why the hell are you asking me, I’ve barely spoken to you this entire time_

“Bro, that was amazing”

“YOU JUST WENT SWOOSH THEN BANG”

“That was very good Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto beamed with pride.

_That's what it is. The bastard wants validation, and he knows how to get it_

Akaashi felt a little annoyed by this. It was like low-grade manipulation, but. It honestly felt like there was a chance Bokuto didn’t even know he was doing it. After that drill the boys decided to pack up, and ultimately, not much got done. Afterwards, they decided to get dinner with each other.

The group settled on BBQ, and overall the night went well. The group had come to the conclusion that Daichi would become their team captain via friendly debate and an arm-wrestling competition. The other positions would be chosen over time, but you could almost feel the anticipation with the group. Around 8:30 pm everyone decided it was time to call it a night.

Akaashi began walking home and heard someone calling from behind him.

“AGAASHI”

Bokuto. Akaashi turned around to see Bokuto chasing him down. Akaashi decided to stop because he’d be damed if this guy was going to know where he lived cause he tried to ignore him.

“Bokuto-san. What is it?”

“I have something to ask.”

_Silence. Annoying. Why did he always wait for permission to ask, it was so awkward._

“..yes?”

“Do you hate me? I just can't tell, you’re so hard to read and I can't tell if I’m annoying you, or if you hate me, or if this is just how you are. Basically I apologize if I've annoyed you or overstepped in anyway, it wasn’t the intention.”

At this moment, Akaashi had come to the conclusion that he did not dislike, nor hate Bokuto-san. Up until now, he hadn’t decided, but with this, he could tell what kind of person Bokuto was and confirmed him as an ally. He cared so much about what Akaashi thought of him. Akaashi supposed this openness is what made him so many friends. He, however, hated that Bokuto could sense that he may have not liked him, and felt somewhat guilty.

“Of course I don’t hate you, Bokuto-san. I’m just a quiet person, and I apologize for any stress I may have caused you.”

“Oh thank god, I was worried that you were plotting my death or something.” said Bokuto with a smile forming on his face.

_On second thought, that openness might just lose him a new friend_

“Hey Akaashi” continued Bokuto

“Yes?”

“can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead”

“I still feel bad since I feel like I was a bit much, so, if you're interested, and I get it if your not, but maybe I could take you out for lunch sometime as a way to sort of mend bridges?”

“like a date?”

“I mean, if you want it to be, which if you don’t I also understand, but I wouldn’t be opposed, but I underst-“

“Bokuto, I’m gay.”

It went silent. Bokuto and Akaashi were similar in the way that they were both straightforward, but Akaashi was selective about his bluntness. He honestly just didn’t want to hear any more of Bokuto trying to essentially ask him out. The only issue was that Akaashi didn’t know if he liked Bokuto like that, he did sincerely want to know if Bokuto meant it as a date, and now it was. Bokuto then cut the silence

“Perfect, then it’s a date!!!” Bokuto paused “Oh right, I need your number so I can message you the details!”

_Wait what the fuck just happened_

Bokuto handed him his phone and input is number. Akaashi had realized at this moment he had officially made another commitment.

The two split ways soon after. As Akaashi walked home he though more about all these commitments and if he could keep up. He knew he probably could but the uncertainty of it all didn’t sit right. Besides almost nothing got done at practice, so he still had no clue if he wanted to continue with it. However, he found himself periodically checking his phone, subconsciously hoping for more details on the “date”, but he just chalked it up to a habit forming from his own anxiety.

That night, after two coffees, an hour of overthinking, no new messages, and one night walk, Akaashi fell into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little blunt with establishing sexuality, but Akaashi honestly gives off the energy of someone who would come out straightforward for two reasons. To avoid wasting time, and if he encountered a low-grade homophobe because now that person is uncomfortable rather than him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the gap in updating, I've had a few essays due and general life stuff happening. I actually wrote this between editing an essay. Anyway, I'll try to be more consistent.

**7:30 am**

Today was not a day that an open was scheduled so Akaashi didn’t have to wake up till he really needed to head to school. It was also nice since he didn’t typically fall asleep till 2:00 am or 3:00 am, but four hours or eight hours of sleep really didn’t feel that different to him. Akaashi checked his phone out of routine.

**3 new messages**

> <Unknown> Hey hey hey! Its Bokuto!

_Save that to contacts_

> <Bokuto K.> Figured I’d check to make sure I got the right number so we could follow up on that date!
> 
> <Bokuto K.> Also how’s your morning going? Hope I didn’t wake you up or anything!
> 
> <Akaashi> Good morning Bokuto-san. I just woke up, but so far my morning is going well. I do have to get to class,so apologies if I’m late with replies.
> 
> <Bokuto K.> Thats awesome! I actually have classes this morning too so maybe we’ll see each other :)

_Doubt it._

> <Akaashi> Maybe, but I typically stay in the English and literature department. What are you majoring in again?

> <Bokuto K.> Oh I’m actually a psychology major! I want to go pro with volleyball, but if that falls through I wanted to do something that to help with mental health stuff. My parents also really wanted me to have something to fall back on just incase. It's a weird mix, I know haha

_That's actually…really interesting. Unexpected._

> <Akaashi> Its strange, but its good that you have a backup. Also, I’m very sorry to cut this short, but I need to get ready. I look forward to hearing the details of our date, Bokuto-san.
> 
> <Bokuto K.> Talk to you later!!!!!!!

Okay, Mental checklist:

  * _Shower_
  * _Get dressed_
  * _Eat_
  * _Double-check bag_
  * _Double-check schedule for the day_



After his regular routine, Akaashi headed to school. Though out his classes he’d check his phone, subconsciously hoping for a new text message. It was kind of nice waiting for something like that. He was also looking forward to the second community practice that was going to be coming up, it made him feel the same way he felt in high school.

Lunch rolled around and he went to the dining hall. Currie with bread and butter again. This time, it was thankfully uneventful, the most that happened was a wave from an acquaintance in another class and nothing else.

The day went by fast, and soon enough he was at work. His shift was 4:00-9:30 pm.

_Gross, closing is a pain._

Like usual, there was a couple of bad customers, a couple of good ones, and some stressful moments that in the end would feel like blips. Around 6:30 pm Akaashi went on his half, made uncomfortable eye contact with a regular he didn’t talk to, and about 15 minutes in Kuroo stopped in.

“Hey Kashi, busy shift?”

“Yeah, but that's not really different from any other shifts if I’m being honest. What are you stopping in for?”

“I put in a mobile order cause me, Kenma, and Bo are going to check out a new astronomy exhibit at the museum.”

“You and Bokuto-san are hanging out a lot more since practice huh?”

“Haha yeah, he’s new to Tokyo so I figured it would be good to help him expand his friend group.”

_Why am I…disappointed?_

“That's great, if it’s good, maybe we can plan to go a second time. I read about and was considering going to see it”

“Dude, you should have told me, we could have planned to go all together.” Kuroo thought for a moment. “Actually, I’m pretty sure Konoha owes me a shift, I could call him in to finish yours if you want?”

“Kuroo-san, that's really not nece-“

“TOO LATE! He’s coming in. I messaged him as soon as you said you were wanting to go. ANYWAY, I'm gonna go tell Yukie that you’re feeling sick and need to go home.”

_Immoral._

“You’re an ass, you know that? What if I didn’t want to leave my shift early?”

“Yes, you did.”

The silence between them was the confirmation that, yes, he did want to leave. Kuroo got up, and promptly returned with the go-ahead since Konoha was going to come in, it wouldn’t be throwing a wrench into the break schedule. Kuroo picked up his drinks and then the two of them left the store.

Outside Bokuto and Kenma stood waiting.

“Mocha frap for Bo, and a steamed apple juice and cinnamon-caramel from Kenma.”

“AKAASHI” Bokuto boomed “I DID’NT KNOW YOU WERE WORKING TODAY, I WOULD HAVE COME IN!”

“I didn’t tell you cause you act like this, bo.” Kuroo butted in

“Well maybe if you had told me I still would have waited outside, and let him work.”

“Okay, but would you?”

“Maybe…”

“We should start moving” Inturpted Kenma

“I actually have to go and change before we go, I got syrup and shit all over my shift earlier.” Said Akaashi

The four walked to Akaashi’s apartment. Kuroo and Bokuto having a conversation about god knows what, while Kenma and Akaashi walked in semi-silence, occasionally talking about things they passed, or Kenma explaining a new game. Akaashi didn’t always connect with Kenma, but he really liked him. He was somewhat brazen, but he knew what he wanted in life and there was something to respect in that.

_Fuck, Bokutos going to know where my apartment is. This was going to inevitably happen I suppose. Wait was it? We could have met somewhere else for a date? Is he going to consider this a date? Pre-date? I should tell them to wait outside? Is he going to be annoying about it if they have to wait? Is it too cold to make them wait out here?_

“Do you guys want to come up to wait or just stay out here”

_Idiot._

“Its kinda cold, and we still have to walk to the museum. We should probably go in for a few minutes.”

While Akaashi got ready Kuroo and Kenma sat on the couch scrolling on their phones. While they did that Bokuto was examining just about everything. Asking what they were, who’s in that picture, when did he get that, and so forth. He would also get weirdly excited when he was able to guess where something came from. To Akaashi it felt like an invasion of privacy, but he had acknowledged that they had very different views of what was okay. Akaashi had noticed that Bokuto had some difficulties with social cues, which once he was able to figure that out, it became a lot easier to figure out how he would set boundaries.

Once he was ready, the four headed back onto the street and began their walk to the museum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot more conversation-based then originally intended, but I wanted to keep the cafe still in the story since originally I was just going to do a coffee shop AU but Uni rat brain said: "what about school????".


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one day, cause I wish I would have updated more before I dipped for a little bit :)

As the boys walked it the sun began to set. It was around 7:15 now, the exhibit was going to open till 10:30 pm, it takes 20 minutes to walk there, and roughly an hour and a half for them to get through the entire exhibit. These thoughts rushed around Akaashi’s head as he tried to piece together what the evening would look like. Because of this kind of thinking, he was a very punctual person. However this was a double edge sword, as people would often get irritated at how insistent he was at leaving exactly on time, or even 10 minutes ahead of time. This way of thinking made him feel as though he had some form of control over his life.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by the sight of the sky. That always did it. The sun had just set enough of the stars were starting to show. When Akaashi would look up and see the dots he would feel so small and insignificant, and there was a comfort in that. He always felt as though the world rested on his shoulders, and the weight was absolutely crushing. Some days it would feel as though his bones were breaking into splinter, like wooden stakes. But when he saw the stars and thought about what might be out there, it would remind him that there are things outside of himself.

For a moment he was so lost in thought that he almost tripped on the sidewalk. When he began to look back up, he saw that Bokuto was just as enamoured with it as he was. Bokuto wore a smile that spread across his entire face. You would have thought that he had never seen the night sky before. It was also the first time that Akaashi had ever seen Bokuto left speechless.

Before they knew it, they had gotten to the museum. Out of everyone, Kuroo was the most excited to see the exhibits, Bokuto following closely to that excitement. Akaashi, who would barley show it, was just as excited. It was in moments like that this that Kuroo would abandon his cool-headed front, and really just nerd out. While Bokuto and Kuroo spoke incessantly Akaashi found himself lightly bouncing on his feet and occasionally chiming in. Kenma went to wait in line for tickets, because honestly he needed a break from all of them, and told them that directly. Ten minutes later they found themselves standing in the first section of the gallery.

“Well since we have two and two we could split up and meet back later? I want to go look at more of the chemical composition stuff, and Kenma really just came along because he wanted to get some pictures for his Instagram, so he really doesn’t care where we go.” Said Kuroo

“I actually want to go to the astrology section.” Kenma said with a shit-eating green on his face

“Why did I even bring you if you were going to do this?”

“Because if I’m going to grow my brand I need to be active online at least a little bit, and out of everything I could do this was probably the most visually appealing thing.”

“Well, I think its a great idea!” Inturpted Bokuto “Cmon Akaashi!”

And without thinking he grabbed Akaashi’s hand and dragged him to a section of the exhibit that showcased the Andromeda Galaxy where he let Akaashi go. Akaashi had read about it before, and the entire thing amazed him. The Andromeda Galaxy was another galaxy that is currently colliding with the Milky Way. At the same time, it disappointed him. He was disappointed be-

“It's a shame we’ll never see what constellations come off of that collision huh?”

“Yeah. Despite being into writing and whatnot, astronomy was the only science I ever really enjoyed.”

“Oh yeah? I’ve always been pretty bad in maths and science, but I like learning the little parts of it all. But people are right-brained and left-brained so you excel more at some things than others.”

“So I’m guessing you’re enjoying psychology?” Akaashi said through a light chuckle

“Suppose I am, but I really want to continue volleyball more than anything. It’s like breathing to me. It was really disappointing that the team was being put on hold for the year, but I’m lucky that I ran into Hinata, at least I can keep practising.” And without skipping a beat “Hey wait a second Akaashi, this is kind of like our first unofficial date!”

Akaashi could feel his face turning red almost immediately. He knew that this was going to come up, but he didn’t know when. He hated that he could feel the heat in his cheeks but he couldn’t do anything to stop it. It was embracing.

“I suppose so, Bokuto-san.”

_Why did I say it that way, that was so cold._

“Well, if that's the case, is it okay if I hold your hand again?”

“Yes, I think that would be.”

_He’s being so nice, why do I sound like a robot_

He took Akaashi’s hand and the two began to look round the exhibit more. Bokutos hands felt like they had heating pads in them. It was a nice change for Akaashi, who’s hands were just about always freezing.

When you looked up in the hall you could see little lights on the ceiling meant to imitate stars and massive replicas of different planets. Bokutos favourite section had to be the one where they talked about the possibility of other realities and how they could be right next to ours. Akaashi liked the exhibit that focused in on the history of how astronomy grew, especially how they used to use the stars to determine gender, and what the child would grow up to be. They got to the end before Kuroo and Kenma and waited in silence.

“Do you want to know why I started going to your work so much?” Bokuto asked breaking the silence

“You seemed to get along a lot with Kuroo. Also, it's an excellent spot to do school, not to mention it's very accessible to the train station.”

Bokuto stared blankly for a moment, he didn’t realize Akaashi was so emotionally constipated that he couldn’t so much as to answer with a “why is that?”. He thought it was obvious that he was going to turn the moment, hopefully into a memory.

“All valid reasons, but that's not it.”

“The real reason is that I would see you on campus, and I kinda ended up with a crush on you. It was only really in the dining hall, but I think our schedules line up that we both end up eating at the same time. One day I saw you working, so I decided to go in, hopefully, make a connection with you.” Bokuto paused “It was pure luck that you knew Hinata, cause I really couldn’t tell if I was just bothering you or not.”

“You came in…to see me?”

His face was turning red again.

_Why would he do that? Does he want something from me? Did I miss read him?_

“Yes, Akaashi”

“why?”

“I honestly don’t know. You just had this kind of energy around you and I wanted to know you. I understand if you think I’m strange now and want me to leave you alone”

Akaashi broke into a laugh

“Bokuto I’ve always thought you were strange, I just didn’t expect anyone to have a genuine interest in me. I’m not all that exciting or anything, you know?”

Just then Kuroo and Kenma began to approach them.

“There you guys are! Did you know Oikawa was here? We ran into him for a bit.” Said Kuroo

“God we haven’t seen him in forever. How's he doing?” Replied Akaashi

“He’s attending Meiji Gakuin University now. So still somewhat local, but he liked the team there, since, like half our friends, he’s also wanting to get scouted”

“Who’s Oikawa?” Bokuto chimed in

“He's the setter from another team from high school. He played on the same team as Iwaizumi.” Said Kenma “He’s kinda full of himself, and he’s loud, but he’s very skilled and I think he’ll definitely it in a professional league.”

“I vote we get out of here before he tries to analyze us or something. I think it's creepy.” Said Akaashi

“You literally do the exact same thing” replied Kuroo and Kenma in unison

“Also the museum is actually open for a bit longer, so I’m gonna stay a bit longer,” said Kuroo

“I’m gonna stay with him too,” said Kenma

“I can walk you home! I have work tomorrow morning anyway!” Bokuto chimed in

And with that, the two split off from each other again. They walked in silence for about twenty minutes, watching the sky, still holding each other's hand. Soon they reached the apartment. Strangely enough, Akaashi wasn’t apprehensive to him walking him to his door.

“This was nice, thank you Bokuto-san.”

“Yeah, and this was an unofficial date, so the next ones going to be even better.”

There was a small silence

“Hey, Kashi?”

“Yes, Bokuto-san?”

“Could I…uhm…would you be okay with it if I kissed you?”

“I think so, Bokuto-san”

_Wow even now, so formal._

Bokuto leaned in putting one hand on the side of Akaashi's face and hesitated, then planted a kiss on Akaashi’s cheek. It was..warm. It was nice.

“I-I’m so sorry I got nervous and I was worried that you were just saying yes because you felt like you had to, and-“

“Bokuto-san that was fine. I did mean it.” He pulled him into a hug “Besides we still have another date right?”

“R-right! Anyway, I had a lot of fun and I really can’t wait to see you again.”

“I did too, Bokuto-san. Goodnight.” Akaashi tried to say as gently as possible

“Night ‘Kash!”

He closed the door and it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mention of alcohol

Akaashi sat with his back against the door, and his face red hot. He could feel his heart beating in his throat and felt so high headed that he might just collapse. It was almost like he could still feel the heat and pressure on his cheek.

_Did that really just happen? Why didn’t I kiss him instead? Have I been sounding disinterested? I didn’t mean to, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did._

He sat on the floor for maybe 20 minutes more completely lost in thought. His phone chimed drawing his attention away from his racing thoughts.

> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san>Hey, did you make it home alright?
> 
> <Akaashi> Yes, Bokuto-san walked me the entire way home. Are you and Kenma still at the Museum?
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> Yeah, we’re leaving soon. We might go out for drinks if you want to join.
> 
> <Akaashi> Not tonight, sorry. I open again tomorrow morning, plus we have practice. Aren’t you opening with me?
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san> ….
> 
> <Akaashi> Just don’t stay out too late, you have the keys and I don’t like waiting.
> 
> <Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san>Awww Akaashi, you’re always so sweet :’)
> 
> <Akaashi> Fuck off, I’m a delight.

After that, he put down his phone and then got off the floor. The distraction of Kuroo was just what he needed. He then decided, right after lecturing his friend about drinking on a work/school/practice night, that coffee was the best thing for the moment. Akaashi liked to use a press for his coffee. It was fast, and the only downside was that sometimes ground would slip in, which could be easily solved with a mini strainer.

He sat with the cup in front of him. Watching the steam come off of it while he contemplated his next move. The big question being “ _Do I like Bokuto as more than a friend?_ ”. He thought he would like to, but then again what if he made the wrong choice by even letting Bokuto give him a kiss on the cheek. What if he didn’t and that sent the wrong message. Of course, he would think the exact same way if he hadn’t let him. It was this exact kind of indecisive thought that consistently stopped him from forming real connections He spent maybe an hour and a half in thought before his phone rang again. The contact name read “Pain in he ass Kuroo-san”.

“HEy Akaashi” Said Kuroo over the phone

“Are you okay Kuroo-san?”

“pft yeah, also I forgot why I called.”

Akaashi put the phone on speaker, and continued to talk to Kuroo while he messaged Kenma that he should probably cut him off of drinks for the night.

“Do you and Kenma need a ride home?”

“No, we’re gonna get a taxi, but I do have a secret!”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah…you can’t tell…” he trailed off for a moment “You can’t tell Akaashi though”

_Why are we friends?_

“Well then maybe you should just keep it to yourself then, Kuroo-san.”

“Nooooo, I really need to tell someone?”

“Kuroo-san I-“

“Shshssh its. Just cause Bo would be embraced, its nothin bad” said Kuroo “Okay so, Bokuto…uh…Bokuto has not stopped messaging me about you. That's why I asked you earlier if you got home alright, just so you’d have a way to talk about it if you wanted to.”

“Kuroo-“

“He likes you so much dude, but you are so hard to read. And I love Bo so you really need to clear that stuff up with him, just cause I don’t want either of you to get hurt. Is it okay to say you love someone you’ve known for like, less than a month? Whatever. Anyway, it’d be like if you and Kenma started dating. Do you think Kenma would care that much about me? I’d hope so.”

> <Kenma> I just told the bartender he’s done. Sorry if he’s bothered you at all.

“Eehh I have to go, Kenma is calling a taxi now and I don’t want to leave anything behind.”

Before he even had a chance to say goodbye, Kuroo had hung up. The conversation did get to him though. Bokuto could read him so easily, the only reason he's confused was because Akaashi was having such a hard time figuring out what his own feelings were. He felt some guilt as well in regards to the fact that Bokuto knew he was unsure about what their relationship could be. Maybe there next date could be where things were officially cleared.

**12:30 am**

_Fuck, how long have I been sitting here for…SHIT MY COFFEE WENT COLD._

Akaashi put the cup in the fridge for tomorrow, as he took this as a sign from god to go to bed. This was kind of early for him, but it had been a busy day. Tomorrow was going to similar, but maybe he was beginning to get used to it.

**4:00 am**

Just as he closed his eyes, it felt like meer moments before his 4:00 am alarm rang off again. Cue the checklist. 

  * _Shower_
  * _Get dressed_
  * _Eat_
  * _Double-check bag_
  * _Double-check schedule for the day_



**4:50 am**

Akaashi made his way to work, and waited by the door. A few minutes later Kuroo arrived, walking towards the door as if he had just been risen from the grave.

“Oi, it's too early to be here.” He said is a strained voice

“Maybe if you weren’t out drinking all night, you’d have more energy.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I got a little out of hand. I made like 6 drunk calls and I can't remember any of them. Kenma had to cut me off. Lucky bastard is still in bed.”

“Do you think you’ll be okay for practice later?”

“Yeah, I’ll just take some pain killers and I’ll be in top shape.”

“Some things never change with you, Kuroo-san.” Akaashi said through a laugh.

The two made their way inside and worked their opening shift. Kuroo was off of work an hour before Akaashi, but waited for him in the cafe so they could bus to school with each other. Classes went by and eventually, they met up at the activity centre.

**4:50 pm**

Everything was set up. Today the schedule was to run drills and figure out who would be on the starting lineup. When Diachi and Kegeyama eventually came in they pulled Kuroo aside to talk to him, he returned a few minutes later looking a little stressed.

_Wonder what that's about?_

Soon enough, everyone had arrived.

“Okay! So today we’re gonna do some drills, and then Sugawara and I will decide on the starting line up. We want to utilize everyone's strengths as much as possible!”

“Also to have some fun” Added Suga

They practised for a while, and it seemed easier than last time. Maybe it was that Akaashi was readjusting to being involved in a sport, or maybe it was that he felt less stress now that he had gotten more comfortable with his teammates. This, however, was not the case for Kenma, who lasted a little bit longer, but was still left for dead on the bench. The only thing that really made him get up was Hinata insisting on him setting for him while Kegs was taking a phone call.

Afterwards, the boys decided to go out for dinner again. This time, Oikawa had joined on request of Iwaizumi, and since Tendou was a gluten for drama, he invited Ushijima along as well. Tendou, may, or may not have, sat down strategically sat down so the two would be forced to sit next to each other. Ushijima was currently in training to join the national team, and maybe, just maybe (in Ushijima’s opinion), Oikawa would have been too, if he had gone to Shiratorizawa.

Through all of this Akaashi sat in comfortable silence while Bokuto went on about alternate universes since that seemed to be all he could think about since the museum. Alongside this he was telling him about a documentary he’d watched later that night, about Rufous-legged owl (Which despite being discovered back in 1828, the owl is so elusive that there is still very little known about it.) Akaashi, had reached another conclusion. Bokuto could do enough talking for the both of them, which is something he actually liked. At then end Diachi informed everyone that placement would be posted in the group chat. They said goodnight and headed home soon after.


End file.
